REAPER SCANS

Mr. Magical Girl

[Translator –  Kuro]

[Proofreader – ilafy]

Chapter 43:  Intermission — Limits of Man

“I can’t do this, Gramps.”

I had been sitting cross-legged, meditating on the scorching ground for hours.

The magic wand near my dantian absorbed an immense amount of the Otherworld’s power, causing my entire body to ache with piercing pains. 

The mental attacks from the Otherworld and the sheer boredom were becoming unbearable.

If I continued any longer, I might just give up on the training altogether, so I opened my eyes, uncrossed my legs, and fell back onto the ground.

As a result, my upper body began to cook alongside my lower body, nicely searing on the burning floor. However, compared to the mental agony that had been gnawing at my brain just moments prior, the pain was endurable.

I wondered if my training partner, Supreme Sword, was meditating, but when I turned to check…

"Ughhh, I’m roasting…"

I saw no one deserving of the ‘Supreme Sword’ name—all I found was an imbecile writhing on the ground.

It looked like he had given up a while ago. His fireproof suit was torn in several places, and his face was pressed against the ground, his entire skin flushed a deep red. He looked like a pitiful worm wriggling in a desert.

"Why are you sticking your face to the ground?" I asked.

"It’s cooler this way."

The heat must’ve loosened some screws in his head. No matter how hot the air around us was, it surely couldn’t compare to the scorching earth beneath.

Well, his brain had been pretty much useless for a long time. It didn’t matter if it got a little more fried at that point.

In fact, what if there was some miracle where his brain cells got cooked and came out a little more functional? That faint hope in mind, I just left him as he was.

‘Where is Gramps anyway?’ I couldn’t find him after looking around from my position on the ground, but when I raised my head, I finally noticed him.

There he was, radiating heat from his entire body, absorbing the Otherworld’s immense power—the Heavenly Demon Sword God.

"He’s actually enduring it."

"Well, of course he can handle it. He’s my master, after all!" Supreme Sword interjected.

‘If that’s the case, maybe you should act more presentable and stop ruining his image as his disciple.’ I quietly thought to myself.

We were both disciples, but I couldn’t believe that embarrassment of a human was my senior. Fortunately, he didn’t act arrogant with me for being the senior disciple. Well, if he’d acted all high and mighty, I probably would’ve run away like the others.

‘Huh, I’ve changed a lot. To think I find it easier to endure physical pain than to deal with interpersonal conflicts.’

I sat there, lost in various thoughts, and another emotion bubbled up inside me as I watched Heavenly Demon Sword God.

Why couldn’t I do that? What was stopping me from doing what he was doing? Why was I just blankly staring at the ground? Was that really enough?

"Hey, Jianpyung."

"Don’t talk to me, my ears are ringing. My head still hurts."

"Our old master is over there enduring the pain, and here we are, lazing around like this. This doesn’t seem right, does it?"

"True, but I can’t get up."

It wasn’t that he couldn’t get up—it was that he didn’t want to.

"No wonder I caught up to you, you lazy bum. Fine, keep acting like that. I’ll leave you further behind in the dust. Geez, I only tried to motivate you since we’re both disciples, but I’ll let you be and do it on my own."

With that, the prideful Supreme Sword would probably follow my lead.

I—no, we didn’t have time to waste lazing around. We needed to move forward—even if just a little—to get stronger. For greater power.

"What was that? Oi, say that to my face again. Who’s leaving who behind? Are you insinuating that I—"

Ignoring the voice by my side, I sat up and crossed my legs again. My exhausted body screamed in protest, wanting to refuse movement, but I suppressed the discomfort through sheer will and continued.

【The people torment you, don’t they?】

【Do you really think anyone will acknowledge your suffering? It’s all pointless.】

【People will always betray others. They betray again and again. Accept it. Justice is just an illusion.】

Taking in the Otherworld’s power once more, whispers echoed in my ears. Unlike the faint whispers from the outer areas, where the Otherworld’s power was weak, they were clear sentences that seemed to lure me in. The concentration there was stronger, after all.

I had heard such words countless times before, whether in reality or as hallucinations, but when they echoed in the hollow space of my mind, replacing all other sensations, the situation changed.

All I heard were those seductive whispers, close to a curse, and all I could feel was agony.

Behind my closed eyelids, what I saw was not darkness but flashes of painful memories.

I tasted a dull metallic flavor in my mouth, and my numbed nose caught a whiff of sulfur.

Which memory was it? Was it the one where my entire squad was wiped out on the battlefield?

Did their actions and sacrifices mean anything?

【That’s right. That squad was wiped out because of you.】

It was fine. 

I could endure that much.

Also, that wasn’t my fault.

* * *

Reaper Scans

Translator - Kuro

Proofreader - ilafy

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"You two actually made it all the way today. You would have usually both passed out by now."

Smack—!

Heavenly Demon Sword God let an old and hearty laugh before slapping our backs.

"Ow! That stings!"

"Tch… How could you do this when my skin’s practically peeled off, Gramps?" A numbing pain shot up my back following a sharp thud, but I obviously didn’t scream out in pain, unlike the dazed Jianpyung beside me.

"You just haven’t trained enough. Complaining over mild heat like this? Tsk, tsk."

How was that old man still so full of energy? Us disciples had at least taken breaks during the training, but he hadn’t.

After that brief exchange, we didn’t waste more time and moved quickly yet silently.

I pushed my exhausted body into a full sprint, determined to get back to our living quarters as quickly as possible.

The return journey was no different than usual, but the silence felt unbearable that day, and I couldn’t help but break it. "Does your head not hurt?" I asked my master.

"Where is this coming from, Haram?"

"Haven't you been doing this since even before we met? Finding places with strong Otherworld power and cultiv— I mean, meditating while absorbing them…"

I was still unwilling to talk about cultivation, breathing techniques, or even ki circulation.

I was a magical girl, and I didn’t want to be so deeply influenced by the ways of a martial artist. While I could admit that his method of strengthening oneself had its merit, I wasn't fond of the ritualistic form it took.

"Is there something wrong with this training?"

There were plenty of problems I could think of… Two out of the three top-class Awakeners had been knocked out just from mental attacks, and countless beginners had all run away before they could get started.

"Isn’t it painful? The things they show you… How do you endure that hell?"

"That isn’t hell. Hell would be much better than that."

"Shut your mouth, Jianpyung." I threw a sharp retort at Jianpyung, who’d suddenly butted in. 

Heavenly Demon Sword God closed his mouth and fell into silent thought. That didn’t mean his legs stopped moving, though.

As always, we sprinted with all our strength, engaging in conversation as we went. It was a symbol of how much we were pushing ourselves every day—of how busy we were.

"Haram…" My master addressed me.

"Yes?"

"What was your rank at first?"

It was a topic I was uncomfortable with. "…When we first met or when I first awakened?"

Despite asking the question, I knew, deep down, that it didn’t matter. Whether it was when I first awakened or when I first met him, I had the same rank.

I’d been stuck in place, unable to make any progress back in those days.

"When we first met… I was an F-Rank Awakener."

Excluding the special S-Rank, there was a six-tier ranking system for Awakeners, going from A to F.

I had been at the very bottom rank in all categories, whether it be combat abilities, special abilities, or anything else.

I was among the very weakest Awakeners, but F-Rank Awakeners weren’t that common either.

The distribution of Awakeners followed a rhombus shape: C and D were the most common, and A and F were rare. Furthermore, most magical girls awakened with multiple abilities, so even the weakest among them would usually be at least be C-Rank.

I was a failure, one who couldn’t even reach the lowest threshold.

"With that rank, haven’t you seen how ugly the world is?"

"I have. I’ve seen plenty." The lower the rank, the more you ended up seeing.

The treatment of Awakeners was generally a mess, but those with higher ranks still had incredible power. Even if that power didn’t directly affect civilians, it still commanded a certain level of intimidation on people around you.

Because of that, the common people’s hatred was directed at the lower-ranked Awakeners. For me, the world was…

"For someone like you, isn’t the world just as bad as hell?"

"…" I turned to him, startled. 

Heavenly Demon Sword God’s eyes closed, and his lips curled into a smile. "I was the same. No, perhaps I shouldn’t say that. You’ve probably been through more suffering than I ever have."

"That’s not…" I didn’t think my misfortune was worse than that of other Awakeners. The misfortune I experienced was something all Awakeners bore…

"A young lad like you shouldn’t look so gloomy. Just listen quietly when an old man who doesn’t have long left to live speaks."

‘Him? Not long to live? Bullshit. He looks like he’ll live for several more decades…’ I thought to myself.

"This world was hell for me, and it still is hell. That being the case, how could I ever kneel to the hell that the inner demons show me? Those things have never seen true hell. What they show is something I can endure just fine."

I didn’t understand. What they showed—that hell—was my past: my mistakes brought upon by my wrong decisions.

In other words, they were the voices in my heart. If Heavenly Demon Sword God thought of reality as hell, wouldn’t that make it even more painful for him?

"They show me my past…” I couldn’t hold back and blurted the words out in confusion.

"The same goes for me."

"Then how…?"

"How hard can it be to endure something I’ve already endured before? I am a sword that has already been tempered in the flames of hellfire," the old man stated.

‘I see…’ He had overcome his past, unlike me. I kept regretting, despairing, and drowning in sorrow—endlessly revisiting the past—while he had moved beyond it.

His answer made me fall into deep thought, and silence enveloped the space around us again.

After some time had passed…

"Master, I have a question," Supreme Sword suddenly said.

"What is it?"

"You say this world is hell, but why do you wield your sword to protect others in this hell?"

His question took me by surprise. ‘Don’t you already know the answer to that, Supreme Sword?’ I wondered.

At least, I knew the answer for myself and our master. No, perhaps every Awakener had found the same answer to that question. They just never voiced it.

"Why ask me when the answer is already within you?" Having seen through his disciple, Heavenly Demon Sword God turned his head with a hearty laugh.

"I wish to hear yours, Master."

"Your own answer should be enough. Are you saying you need someone else’s?"

"Yes." Supreme Sword was starting to look a bit more composed. Had he finally matured?

"I wield my sword because I do not want others to suffer that hell like I did. That is all."

‘Others, huh?’ I was sure people like Thunder God or Oxymoron had said something similar, even if I couldn’t recall their exact words.

After hearing Heavenly Demon Sword God’s answer, Supreme Sword fell quiet, as though he had something to think about.

Another round of silence settled between us.

"Come to think of it…" Suddenly, Heavenly Demon Sword God spoke again. Since both of us had asked questions at least once, it seemed like it was his turn that time. "Haven’t you two been following me around all this time to get clues about my S-Rank technique? Tell me… Have you figured anything out yet?"

His S-Rank technique, huh? Indeed, that was the reason we were there.

"Not at all. Not even a speck of it."

"Same here, Master."

S-Rank was a new category for Awakeners who had surpassed the conventional measurements.

"You two are on the same level as me. Don’t rush. Focus on honing both your minds and techniques. With time, you’ll naturally ascend."

"The same level as you? Master, your abilities are still far beyond mine," Supreme Sword refuted.

"That may be true, but in actual combat, our skills are pretty close, aren’t they?" I replied.

The moment I said those words, I saw two contrasting reactions. Jianpyung glared at me, while Heavenly Demon Sword God smiled and nodded, agreeing with my statement.

"Show some respect to our master. Haram Lee, I usually tolerate your impertinence since Master allows it, but you went too far.”

"But it's true." 

In reality, the basic combat abilities between S-Rank and A-Rank Awakeners were nearly identical. They were all at the peak of power, some of the strongest heroes to exist, so what exactly was the wall that separated A-Rank and S-Rank Awakeners?

What separated A-Rank from S-Rank was the presence of S-Rank techniques, a so-called "finisher"—an extremely powerful, deadly, ultimate move that transcended common sense and had the power to completely change the course of battle in an instant.

There were only four Awakeners who were honored with the S-Rank thus far: Heavenly Demon Sword God, Macbeth, Calavera, and Oxymoron.

Originally, there had been three of them, but Heavenly Demon Sword God recently unlocked an S-rank technique, joining the others.

So Supreme Sword and I—two practitioners from the same school as Sword God—ended up sticking with him under the pretense of a master-disciple relationship.

“Take out your hammer, Haram Lee.”

That moron sure wasn’t letting my lack of manners slide that day. How earnest of him.

I had to match his energy, then.

“Sure, I’ll take it out. It’s a great opportunity to remind you who’s stronger between the two of us.”

We drew our weapons and pointed them at each other. After a brief standoff, just as we were about to charge at each other—

"Enough." Heavenly Demon Sword God’s stern voice cut through the tension, blocking the space between us.

"The camp is just ahead. Are you planning to fight in front of everyone?"

I focused my mana into my eyes, and indeed, we had gotten close to the military encampment.

Perhaps the power of the Otherworld had distorted my senses? I thought we were still far off, but we had already reached the vicinity of our accommodation.

Since I was still in control of my emotions, I easily retracted my weapon without protest and gazed back at Supreme Sword.

"…We'll settle this later, Haram Lee." Supreme Sword had yet to cool his head off. He kept his weapon pointed at me, promising a future duel.

I didn’t mind fighting later, but what was the point if it didn’t benefit me?

If we were going to fight, I had to at least get something out of it.

"If you lose, hand over the cigarettes you’ve been hiding. You’ve got a decent stash, don’t you?"

"Huh?! Fine! I’ll give them to you if I lose! You better have your own stash prepared when I win!" Supreme Sword declared loudly as he finally sheathed his sword, his anger having subsided a little. We then walked toward the camp.

Thus, another day of ridiculous routines came to a close—one where I sat cross-legged by a hole. I must’ve been completely out of my mind, as always.

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